DC for Families

By Beth D'Addono
America's hometown is an ideal destination for families--between the grandeur of the national monuments, the Smithsonian complex and the National Zoo, home to giant pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, D.C. offers something for every age group. The key to enjoying it all is to pick and choose--and keep in mind that the distance between wherever you are and the Washington Monument is a lot farther than you think. The Mall--the heart of D.C.'s main attractions, is almost two miles long.

To avoid a case of "museum feet," consider interspersing indoor activities with time spent outdoors, in places like the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden or the 165-acre National Zoo, a 20-minute car or Metro ride north of the Mall. The Smithsonian alone could keep everybody busy for a while. A few museums that are especially kid- and family friendly include the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall, with its 8,000 artifacts, including totems and both historic and contemporary art. Or take flight with the National Air and Space Museum, home to the original Wright 1903 Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 command module, and a lunar rock sample that kids (of all ages) can touch.

The Metro, the city's underground public transportation, is an inexpensive and easy way to get around town. Here's another tip--if there is a line to climb the Washington Monument, head for the Pavilion at the Old Post Office, where the clock tower affords an equally dramatic view.

The National Mall is the main event in this town. Make your visit to the U.S. Capitol memorable by writing in advance to your local congressman or congresswoman's office to obtain passes to the House and Senate galleries. The Lincoln Memorial is an awesome sight--especially if you've visited Ford's Theatre & Lincoln Museum, where John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865.

Kids love touring the J. Edgar Hoover (FBI) Building, with its exhibitions of successful federal sleuthing and marksmanship demonstration. Public tours of the White House are available for groups of 10 or more, but requests must be submitted through one's member of Congress and are accepted up to six months in advance. Tours are offered from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Women's Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial, all located in Constitution Gardens on either side of the reflecting pool, pay tribute to patriots from those conflicts.

If your child is older than 11, a visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum can be a moving and educational experience. Find out if your son or daughter has learned about the Holocaust in school, and discuss the museum's mission--to tell the story through artifacts, films, photographs and oral histories--before paying a visit. Some exhibits may be traumatic to view for visitors of any age.

Most of the Smithsonian museums are located on the National Mall and offer a rich treasure trove of cultural, scientific, artistic and historic artifacts. Don't make the mistake of overkill--identify your child's interests and let them determine your itinerary. Orient yourself by stopping first at the Castle, the visitors' center at the vortex of the Smithsonian complex. Some highlights? The Hope Diamond in the Museum of Natural History; Fonzie's jacket in the American History building, where you can also see the First Lady inaugural gowns and Archie Bunker's chair. The Discovery Theater in the Arts & Industries Building provides a changing program of films, puppeteers, dancers and musical entertainment.

When you need a break from all this culture, head over to Union Station--even if you don't have to catch a train. This working station, with its exquisite Beaux Arts design, is a great place to take in a movie on a rainy day, have a bite at the food court or one of the restaurants, and do some shopping.

DuPont Circle

Cafes and restaurants overflow with young professionals. The sounds of jazz fill the air. Foreign dignitaries intermingle with the crowds, extreme art hangs on gallery walls, chess players mix with street musicians and people watchers.

Welcome to DuPont Circle, a sassy, uptown neighborhood that intersects Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire avenues in the northwest section of D.C. DuPont Circle is a haven of cosmopolitan chic--and a great place to shop, dine on ethnic cuisine, or just watch the international world go by.

Continue DuPont Circle's international theme with culinary salutes to the nation of your choice--for Lebanon, try Bacchus; for Indian, check out Taj Mahal; or for American, stop by Sam & Harry's. Afterwards, hear some poetry at Afterwords Café, or dance the night away at 18th Street Lounge.

A new addition in Washington is the "Extra Mile-Points of Light Volunteer Pathway" that was dedicated by former Pres. George H.W. Bush on Oct. 14. This mile-long section of downtown Washington, only blocks from the White House, tells the story of 70 great women and men whose service to others profoundly changed the lives of people across the U.S. and world.

Among the initial 20 honorees--whose images and accomplishments are memorialized in dramatic bronze medallions embedded in granite—are Helen Keller, Martin Luther King Jr. and Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts.
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Guide to D.C. Attractions

• Christian Heurich Mansion
1307 New Hampshire Ave. NW
(202) 429-1894

• Ford's Theatre & Lincoln Museum
511 10th St. NW
(202) 347-4833

• Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden
on the Mall between
7th and 9th streets SW
(202) 633-1000, hirshhorn.si.edu

• J. Edgar Hoover (FBI) Building
E St., between 9th and 10th streets
(202) 324-3447, www.fbi.gov

• Lincoln Memorial
Memorial Circle, between Constitution
and Independence avenues SW
(202) 426-6841

• National Zoo
3000 block of Connecticut Ave. NW
(202) 633-4800, nationalzoo.si.edu

• Old Post Office
Pennsylvania Ave., between 11th and 12th streets NW
(202) 289-4224

• Smithsonian Museum of American History
Constitution Ave., between 12 and 14th streets NW

• Smithsonian Museum of Arts & Industries
900 Jefferson Dr. SW

• Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
Constitution Ave., between 9th & 10th streets NW

• Smithsonian Museums Visitors' Center
1000 Jefferson Dr. SW
(202) 633-1000, www.si.edu

• Textile Museum
2329 S St. NW
(202) 667-0441, www.textilemuseum.org

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Raoul Wallenberg Place, 15th St. SW
(202) 488-0400, www.ushmm.org

• U.S. Capitol
between Constitution and Independence avenues,
at Pennsylvania Ave.
(202) 225-6827

• Washington Monument
15th St. near Constitution Ave. SW
(800) 967-2283, www.nps.gov/wamo

• White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
(202) 456-2200, www.whitehouse.gov